The long wait
by Unknown1819
Summary: After about eight years of not remembering what happened that night at the art gallery Ib and Garry finally remember eachother, and remember what happened.
1. Chapter 1

Stuck in a small dark room… Loud banging coming from one of the doors. I run into another room. The door closes behind me with a loud bang. I's pitch black and the closest door to me is locked. The lights suddenly switch on, I turn around and I'm surrounded. There's a headless mannequin to my left, A mannequin head to my right, And the lady in red crawling towards me. I can hear a loud ticking sound, But it's not distracting me. These things are moving towards me in sync with the loud ticking. Closer and Closer, there's no escape. And then, Black.

. . .  
It's been eight years since I had that nightmare. I was nine when I first had it. When I woke up, I was expecting to be in my bedroom. But where I was I couldn't recognise it at first, I was on the floor, using a torn up jacket as a blanket. It wasn't my jacket. There was someone else with me, making sure I slept safe... This jacket was their jacket… But who was it?

I sat up in my bed, rubbed my eyes and then finally got up and walked to my mirror. I looked at my reflection. I definitely have changed over eight years so whoever was in that room with me probably wouldn't recognise me now…seeing how I was nine then, and Im seventeen now. I've been living on my own in a little apartment for a year now. I never really talked to any of my neighbors either. But I did notice this one man the other day, who looked quite familiar. He looked about twenty six years old. He lives on my floor just down the hall. I noticed him when we both got in to the elevator one day. He also seemed to be going to the same place I was going. The café. I usually go every Tuesday, and oddly so does he, at around 10a.m. just like I do. His hair is a lavender color with dark purple. He wears a navy blue torn up jacket... Now that I think about it, his jacket is just like the one I woke up in after the nightmare. What if he's the person I'm looking for! Today would have to be the day I find out. I quickly run into my closet and pick out my favourite outfit. A white dress shirt with a red scarf and skirt, black knee socks, and red flats. Before I head out I tie a little red rose in my hair.

Sure enough, he was waiting for the elevator. The doors opened right when I got to them. We got in and I noticed him looking at me curiously. I take a glance over, and our eyes meet. The elevator door opened, and both of our eyes met to it. He motioned for me to go first, because it's the gentlemen thing to do. I snuck a little smile before walking ahead. Maybe I was right… Then again maybe I'm wrong and I'm just overthinking things. Or even making it all up! I was nine, maybe I just made up a game and made the man up. If that was true, why does this man look almost identical to the man I was with? I reach into my bag, and take out a lemon flavored hard-candy. The man was lingering around, and looking in my direction every minute he had the chance to. When he thought I wasn't looking, he looked over, and just as he did so did I. I smiled and waved, his face turned a scarlet red of embarrassment, from being caught. He waves back, and then turns and continues on his journey to the café.

In no time I arrive at the café. I order a small drink and a strawberry flavoured macaroon, and walk towards an empty table with two chairs. I notice the man waiting for his drink, he probably wont even stay here long. So I got comfy and pulled out a book. I was so into my book I didn't even notice that the man decided to stay and was walking towards my table. I jumped when he asked "Mind if I have a seat?" I glanced up "or are you expecting someone..?" his facial expression begged me to say no. when I confirmed for him to have a seat, his expression relaxed as he did in the chair. I knew he was staring at me, I could feel it. I glanced up at him and he quickly looked away. "I-I…uh… I'm sorry…" he stammered. I giggle and close my book. His face lit up with embarrassment again. So I decided since he was here would be my best chance to find out if he was the one I was looking for. "You know…" I began. "You look oddly familiar… I remember seeing your jacket from someplace…" he glances up at me, then back down to his lap. "That red rose… looks familiar. I remember it from somewhere. I thought I had just seen it from the statue at the art gallery, but that wasn't it…" He reached for his drink and I noticed a scar on his hand. The scar triggered another memory.

_His hand was bleeding bad… He had cut it on a piece of glass that flew off the painting I had just burned. I looked around trying to find something for him, but all there was were drawings and dolls, and ashes everywhere. I reached in my pocket and took out the handkerchief my mother had told me not to lose. I knew she would be very upset if I told her I gave it away, but he seemed to need it more than I did. So I took his hand and wrapped it up with my handkerchief._

"Garry…" I thought. I hadn't realized I said the name out loud until I saw the man slowly look up in shock. "How… how did you?" He began before I cut him off lost in memory. "Garry, you need to listen to me. You have to remember what happened. Please I'm not crazy." He nodded. "Eight years ago, I went to an art gallery with my parents to look at some of Guertena's paintings. I told my mother that I was going to go ahead and look around myself. I came across some really beautiful paintings, and sculptures. But the last one I looked at was really large. After I looked at that painting, the gallery changed. No one was around, there were blue footprints on the ground leading into the "_Abyss of the Deep_" I stepped in and entered another gallery. It looked exactly like the real thing. Only it wasn't. I walked down the first hallway and found a red rose. It seemed important so I kept it with me. I found locked doors, and keys to open the doors, I got chased by statues, and grabbed at my weird hands coming out of the wall. I realized that if you get hurt, the rose loses petals. And if you return the rose back to health, you return back to health as well. There was a room that looked like a cat. There was a fish shaped key hole, I found the pieces. And later on, I found you… on the ground. You were in a heap of pain. I tried rubbing your shoulders for you but you begged me to stop. I figured, If I had a rose, then maybe you did so I went looking for yours. I found your rose in a room. A painting had come to life, and had taken it. I got it back and returned your, and my rose to health. I gave it back to you, and you vowed that we wouldn't part throughout our journey to freedom. Please tell me you remember Garry." He was silent for a minute but then I noticed as things started becoming clear to him. "I remember… Ib, you saved me. And we escaped. We escaped Mary and we got out! How could I have not remembered it before!" He pulled out the handkerchief. "And this… is yours. You lent it to me. But I never figured out how I got it and why "Ib" was stitched in. but I remember now. You lent it to me because my hand was bleeding." I was so happy he remembered. "How could we have forgotten all that for this long… it was so important." I said. "I don't know but I must be getting home, would you like to come over, Ib?" Garry asked. I nodded and stood up. "Okay I'm ready" I said smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

It took us about ten minutes to get back to the apartment seeing as both of us couldn't stop talking the whole way back. When we finally reached the building, we both got in the elevator and waited until we reached the third floor. We stopped at Garry's door, which was two doors down from my apartment. Garry unlocked his door and motioned for me to go in first. I walked in and looked around. His apartment was definitely different from mine. His living room had a blue worn out couch, with an old box television. Garry hung his coat up on the coat hanger and then walked over to the couch and sat down. He smiled at me and then patted the seat next to him. I smiled back and walked over. His smile was so perfect. It was the contagious kind, when he smiles at you, it's like a reflex, you can't hold back yours. But there was one time, No matter how hard he tried. His smile wasn't contagious.

. . .  
_There she was…Mary…Talking to a doll. "Oh? What is this? A present for me?" The doll pulls out something red and hands it over to her. "Yaaay, it's so preeeetty! Can I have it? Oh, thank you!" Mary says jumping up and down. She takes the red thing and admires it. "That… it can't be…" Garry says staring at the red thing. He pulls me, moving fast, Towards Mary. I stop in shock. She has my rose! But, I lost it! That horrifying doll must have found it! "Mary!" Garry yells, his face turning red with anger. "Oh! Ib and Garry! Did you find what you were looking for?" Mary asked with a blank expression. Garry continued to stare at her. She smiled brightly while saying, "But anyways.. lookit! I just got this! Pretty, isn't it?" Garry takes a step closer towards her. "Mary… that… that rose…" He begins. "Huh…?" Mary looks confused. "Ahh! You mean this is Ib's? I thought I'd seen it before!" Mary says with a little giggle. Garry calmed himself down before opening his mouth again. "Mary, please… Give that back to Ib." Mary stopped, looked down at the rose, and then back at Garry. "Hmm… I wonder… Ib…. you want this back?" I didn't hesitate at all to say, "Yes." Mary thought some more. Then I noticed her eyes move towards Garry's rose. " Well… Hmm… Wanna trade Garry's rose?" Garry's expression switched drastically. He knew that he would have no choice but to sacrifice himself for me. But I didn't want that. I wanted Garry to live, and get out alive… with me… "Garry's rose is blue, right? I like red and all, but I like blue even moooooore!" Mary said with a little smirk. "This doll's blue too! Isn't she cute?" The doll turned around and did a little hop before turning back to Mary. I looked up at Garry, then back at Mary. She was getting anxious. "So…? Wanna trade?" Garry thought for a moment, then looked down at me. "Garry…" I began. "Don't worry Ib… I'll be fine. Just leave it to me." He said with a slight smile before turning to Mary. "Understood. Please give me Ib's rose in exchange for mine." I started to cry. "Really? You sure?" Mary asked licking her lips, in hope he wouldn't change his mind. Garry let out a loud sigh. "yes…" He pulled out his blue rose and switched with Mary. "Heehee! Yaaay! Preeetty preeetty flower!" She said cradling the rose in her hands. "Ahhahahahahahaha…!" she laughed before running off. There were tears running down my face when Garry walked over. "Be careful with it…" He said crouched over, handing me my rose. "I'm sorry…" I murmur. He wipes a tear away from my face, forces a smile and says, " ahaha!... why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong, Ib. Right? So don't look so down! And my rose… well! We'll just catch Mary and get it back! So let's do our best! I know we're almost there!." I nod. The room starts to grow dark, and everything starts rumbling. I look towards the stairs, They aren't blocked anymore! "Run, Ib!" Garry says, picking me up and carrying me towards the exit. We made it out just in time. I could hear someone talking in the distance. It sounded like Mary… "Loves me…" No. No it can't be. I notice Garry's getting weaker. But he's still able to move. We continue to walk more. "Loves me not…" We continue down the hall a little more, before "Loves me…" Garry stops. He can't move, he's grown too weak. "GARRY!" I run over to him. "Ib… um… could you go ahead? I'm…uh… I'm sorry, I don't really know what to say… I don't want to lie to you… but… I don't want to tell you the truth either… If you need help… I'll come running… Go on… ahead." He says before collapsing at my feet. I fall to my knees. Tears flowing out of me like a waterfall. I stay there holding his hand, before my entire body fills with anger. I stand up, and set my mind on one person. Mary. I walk as fast as my feet could take me up those stairs and around the corner to where she was. She was holding Garry's rose. There was only one petal left. Before she could touch it I call out her name. Startled, she drops the rose and runs out the nearest door. I walk over to it and gently pick it up, so I don't damage it and kill Garry. I quickly go back to him, and find him sleeping up against a wall. I go down on my knees again. "Garry… Garry, hey…" I start nudging at him. When he doesn't wake I start to cry. "Why are you sleeping… Garry… wake up… I got your rose back! Now we can finally get out! Together! Please Garry… wake up… please…" I move on top of him and wrap my arms around his neck. "Please…." I finally give up and look around for a vase, or an exit somewhere. Anywhere that has water. The pond! I quickly make my way out the exit and towards the pond. I dip the flower in and nothing happens… I hold it in there longer and notice the petals growing back and the rose returning to health. Excited, I run back to Garry._


	3. Chapter 3

I was pulled out of thought when Garry noticed me staring into space. "Ib… you okay?" He asked with a concerned look. "You've been staring at nothing for ten minutes…" I look over to him. "Yeah… I'm fine…" switching my eyes from him to my hands, resting in my lap. Not convinced at all, Garry moves closer to me and takes one of my hands in both of his. "Wanna talk about it?" He says with that smile I love. I let out a sigh and open my mouth trying to figure out what I want to say. "Do you remember when we fell into that strange place… and Mary had my rose?" Garry nodded. "And… you almost died?..." I said finally looking at him. He looked down, then back to me. "Is that what you were thinking about?" Kind of embarrassed, I looked away from him. He reached his hand and gently touched my face, to turn it back towards him. "yes.." I finally say. "I was so scared… I didn't want to lose you…" He squeezed my hand gently. "Hey… it's okay now… I'm fine, you don't have to worry, we got rid of Mary together… nothing will happen." He reassured me. I nodded and relaxed a little. Garry was first to notice twenty minutes later that we were still holding hands. "Uhh.. Ib I-" "I don't mind." I looked over to him. " I feel secure…" He nodded, not really minding either. I mean we just got hit with a whole lot of reminders today. And they weren't really things I wanted to relive. But I did.

I was kind of tired. We were watching something on the television. It was like Popeye or something. I don't know, but Garry was already asleep.. I didn't want to disturb him but I didn't want to fall asleep either and risk having another nightmare… But I couldn't help it. Garry and I were still holding hands so I carefully pulled his arm over my head and rested on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed me until I finally fell asleep.

. . .  
_She was gone... I watched her rip the last petal off of the rose Garry had willingly traded her. I fell to my knees and placed my head in my hands and let out a loud cry. Shaky, I guided myself back onto my feet, and ran towards where Garry was. He wasn't moving at all. I got to my knees and took his face in my hands. "I'm so sorry…" I whisper to him before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me. I held him and wept. My body felt weak and I rested my head on his chest… I could hear his heartbeat. It was slow… I sit up and look at him. "Garry…" I say wiping the tears away. "Can I stay with you?... forever?" If he were awake I knew what he would have said. He would have told me to go on without him. But that wasn't what I wanted to do…. We said we were going to stick together through this all. And that's what I intend on doing. I pull out my rose, and pull of a petal. "Loves me…" I wince when I say it. But continue taking petals off. "Loves me not… Loves me…..Loves me not….Loves me._

I wake up to a jolt. "Woah!" Garry says looking down. I look up at him sleepily. "Sorry if I woke you, I just wasn't expecting to wake up… snuggling with you…" He said wide eyed. "Sorry…" I yawn, "I got tired, and was scared I would have another nightmare…" He looks down at me worried now. "….did you have a nightmare?" I stopped to think about it before answering. "Kind of… but not really… You were there… but everything went wrong… I tried to save you… but I couldn't… I had a choice between freedom, or being stuck forever, just like you…" He continued to stare at me. "I chose you…."


End file.
